Koichos
All Star
Wow! this verse and their quarrel rang a vague bell in my memory of your little one being named on account of our many back and forths. Jakob must be walking and talking by now? I think mods threw Brother DC’s Islam thread into the vault and for the life of me I cannot remember when you told me but it had to have been some time last year?



When Jakob is old enough, please make certain you share with him the following wisdom of the great Hillel ‘the Elder’ which have served to shape many a young man.
.הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי, מִי לִיHe used to say: If I am not for something, what am I?
.וּכשֶׁאֲנִי לְעַצמִי, מַה אֲנִי
וְאִם לֹא עַכשָׁיו, אֵימָתַי׃
If I am not for myself, who will be?
If not now, when?
אַל תֹּאמַר לִכשֶׁאֶפנֶה אֶשׁנֶה, שֶׁמַּא לֹא תִפנֶה׃Never say: ‘I'll study when I get around to it’—perhaps you never will get around to it!
לֹא הַבַּישָׁן לָמֵד׃A shy person [one who is too hesitant to raise his hand and ask a question] will never learn.
[Mishnah, Treatise Avot 1:14, 2:4, 2:5]